Healing Resources

Meet Joanne Sullivan, Grief Specialist

I bring both personal and professional experience with death and grieving to every counseling situation, which includes the creation of this set of grief counseling resources. I know them to be the best available online today. Whether your loss has been sudden or expected, I'll help you learn to cope with the depth of emotions and experiences that are part of healthy grieving. ﻿

Guidance Support When You Need Them the Most

Click on the graphic on the left to download the file.

Full Circle 2019 (The Forastiere Family Funeral & Cremation Newsletter)

Click on the graphic on the left to download the file.

Bereavement Support

The emotional upheaval, these trying times can cause, is sometimes so overwhelming that even the support of friends and family may not help relieve the amount of sadness and grief you feel.

At Forastiere Family Funeral Home & Cremation we offer the following aftercare grief resources:

Grief SpecialistFor nearly two decades, Joanne Sullivan has been our Grief Specialist helping families to find healing moments as they work through their grief journey. Her own personal and professional life experiences with loss captures her humanistic and natural compassion and expertise, as well as, her grief work and research to be a supportive resource for families.

Joanne facilitates our grief support groups, which are open to the community and free of charge. Our Grief Specialist, Joanne Sullivan, has written a book titled The Reality Of Loss﻿.

Our bereavement support groups are held several times a month, at a variety of locations in the towns of East Longmeadow, Agawam, West Springfield, and Southwick, to provide support to families at their convenience. They are designed to help anyone who is grieving. They are free of charge, open to the community and registration is not needed. Please visit our newsletter or contact our funeral home or Grief Specialist, Joanne Sullivan, for more information (413)525-2800.

In addition to our support groups, we hold a Suicide Survivors Support Group at our location in East Longmeadow - Forastiere Smith Funeral Home and Cremation, facilitated by members from the American Foundation for Suicide and Prevention / AFSP Western Massachusetts Chapter; held one Monday a month, which is also listed in our newsletter.

Full Circle Quarterly NewsletterOur Grief Specialist, Joanne Sullivan, is the author of our newsletter that is available on our website as well as through email. The newsletter is a resource that contains articles, tips, and inspirations which many families find helpful and comfort. Our grief support group calendar which highlights the types of support groups, the dates, time and place held is also found in the newsletter. Should you like to receive our newsletter quarterly, please email us wecare@forastiere.com

Remembrance ProgramsThroughout the year, we invite the families that was our honor to serve to our funeral home for remembrance ceremonies. We gather and continue to honor and remember their loved one together. We do this in the form of our annual Remembrance Butterfly Release Ceremony, Handling the Holidays programs, Candle Lighting Ceremonies and our Spring Remembrance ceremonies. It is our belief that grief shared with others, over time, is lessened and creates a journey of healing moments.

In addition to the bereavement services for the families we serve, we have provided some helpful grief support links below:

Webhealing.com, the first interactive grief website on the internet, offers discussion boards, articles, book suggestions, and advice for men and women working through every aspect of grief. The site’s founder, Tom Golden LCSW, has provided book excerpts and contact information to help those healing from loss.

With nearly 50 internet support groups plus a wide range of online resources, GriefNet provides support for those dealing with all types of loss. Their companion site, kidsaid.com, helps children and their parents deal with grief and loss in an appropriate and safe environment.

Willowgreen offers support and information for those dealing with life transition & aging, illness & caregiving, loss & grief, and hope & spirituality. The site offers advice, products, and inspirational materials.

Growth House is an award-winning website that offers international resources for life-threatening illnesses and end of life care. The site features hypertext topic pages that explain major issues across the spectrum of hospice and home care, palliative care, pain management, grief, death with dignity, and quality improvement. It also offers disease-specific guides, an online bookstore, and even their own radio station.